Mikkeli Vierkante Woonhuis met studio, Puisto

A place of tranquillity

The "Three Square House" residence in Finland blends discreetly into its natural surroundings.

The residential building on the shore of Lake Saimaa, one of the largest lakes in the country, could easily be overlooked from a distance. Yet those who might think this is an unobtrusive, conventional cottage in a lonely location would be mistaken. Embedded in a spruce forest landscape, extraordinary structures in form, material and colour are presented, which in their entirety merge into a unity. Three interlocking structures boast a façade of black-oiled wood and graphite-grey titanium zinc. The architects have reinterpreted the classic monopitch roof in a playful and contemporary approach and designed it as an asymmetrical, multi-folded roofscape. Studio Puisto Architects from Helsinki is responsible for the expressive, modern look of the residential building.